Chapter Summaries

Zhen Yuanzi reported on the Underworld’s progress to Pingxin while Minghe eagerly sought chances to prove his loyalty. When Jieyin and Zhunti arrived, Minghe welcomed them in place of Zhen Yuanzi, and the two Western Sages privately told Pingxin they had come to resolve a major hidden danger in the Underworld.

• Zhen Yuanzi reported that the Eighteen Layers of Hell had been repaired, soul diversion was running smoothly, and the backlog of wronged souls was being addressed.
• Pingxin sensed Jieyin and Zhunti arriving, and Minghe volunteered to welcome them before Zhen Yuanzi could go.
• Minghe greeted the Western Sages at Ghost Gate Pass and escorted them to Pingxin Hall.
• Jieyin and Zhunti signaled that they wanted to speak privately, so Minghe and Zhen Yuanzi left the hall.
• Zhunti told Pingxin that he and Jieyin had come to help resolve a major hidden danger facing the Underworld.

Zhunti offered to have Buddhist disciples help Pingxin liberate sinful ghosts in exchange for a share of the merit. Pingxin agreed to the work but rejected the idea of granting the disciples official Underworld posts, leaving Zhunti's greater plan in question.

• Zhunti told Pingxin that Buddhist disciples could help purify sinful ghosts and resentful souls in the Underworld.
• Pingxin saw through Zhunti's offer and asked what the Two Sages of the West wanted in return.
• Zhunti admitted that Buddhism sought the merit earned from delivering and transforming the dead souls.
• Pingxin agreed to pay merit for help with deeply sinful ghosts but reserved ordinary souls for the Six Paths of Reincarnation.
• Zhunti asked Pingxin to grant the stationed Buddhist disciple an official divine post, and she challenged the demand.

Pingxin agreed to let Buddhism establish a presence in the Underworld, appointing Ksitigarbha King to oversee Yin Mountain and deliver evil ghosts under her authority. When Zhunti asked about compensation, Pingxin offered one percent of the merit, prompting the Two Sages of the West to protest and demand more.

• Zhunti assured Pingxin that Buddhist disciples would focus on deliverance, avoid Underworld administration, and obey her orders.
• Jieyin proposed sending his disciple Ksitigarbha, and Pingxin agreed to make him Ksitigarbha King and grant Buddhism Yin Mountain as its residence.
• Pingxin warned that she would punish any Buddhist disciple who overstepped the Underworld's rules, and Zhunti promised to discipline them.
• Zhunti asked how much merit Buddhism would receive, and Pingxin offered one percent.
• Zhunti and Jieyin objected that one percent was too little, with Jieyin arguing they should receive at least twenty percent.

Pingxin negotiated a deal allowing the Two Sages of the West to send Buddhist disciples into the Underworld to deliver dead souls in exchange for one percent of the merit. After they left for Mount Sumeru, she summoned Zhen Yuanzi and Ancestor Minghe, and Minghe praised her bargain as a clever way to get the Underworld's work done cheaply.

• Zhunti asked for thirty percent of the merit, but Pingxin refused and explained that the West also wanted Underworld offices and Fortune.
• Pingxin threatened to cancel the deal, so Zhunti and Jieyin accepted her one-percent offer and left the Underworld.
• Jieyin worried that the West had lost out, but Zhunti argued that the arrangement would provide a steady stream of merit.
• Pingxin summoned Zhen Yuanzi and Ancestor Minghe and recounted the agreement with the Two Sages of the West.
• Ancestor Minghe praised Pingxin's deal as a way to use Buddhist disciples as laborers while paying them only a small share of the merit.

Empress Pingxin approved Ksitigarbha and Buddhist disciples entering the Underworld, but assigned them to harsh work so they would earn their share of its merit. On Mount Sumeru, Jieyin and Zhunti sent for Ksitigarbha and told him his path lay in the Underworld.

• Empress Pingxin reassured Zhen Yuanzi that she could control Ksitigarbha and the Western Teachings within the Underworld.
• Empress Pingxin ordered Zhen Yuanzi to establish the Buddhist disciples near Yin Mountain and assign them the Underworld’s dirty, tiring, and dangerous work.
• Minghe offered to send stubborn ghosts from his Asura Path to Ksitigarbha, while Zhen Yuanzi agreed that evil ghosts in the Eighteen Layers of Hell should be cleared out.
• Jieyin and Zhunti summoned Ksitigarbha at Mount Sumeru and told him that he would enter the Underworld to convert departed souls with several hundred Buddhist disciples under his command.

Ksitigarbha embraced his mission to redeem the Underworld’s suffering souls and arrived at Yin Mountain with Jieyin, Zhunti, and the Buddhist disciples. After he swore to keep working until hell was empty, Pingxin let the vow stand and ordered that Yin Mountain receive no extra assistance.

• Zhunti persuaded Ksitigarbha that delivering the Underworld’s souls was his Dao, and Ksitigarbha agreed to go.
• Jieyin and Zhunti brought Ksitigarbha and several hundred Buddhist disciples to Ghost Gate Pass, where Ancestor Minghe led them to the barren, resentment-filled Yin Mountain.
• Ksitigarbha accepted the harsh place as his charge and vowed to liberate suffering beings until hell was empty, triggering a surge of merit and cultivation.
• Ancestor Minghe grew furious at Jieyin and Zhunti’s scheme, but Empress Pingxin told him to let Ksitigarbha proceed.
• Zhen Yuanzi warned Pingxin that Buddhism meant to bind the Underworld to its merit, and Pingxin ordered that Yin Mountain receive no extra assistance.

Ksitigarbha and several hundred Buddhist disciples entered Yin Mountain to fulfill his vow to deliver the dead, while Pingxin revealed to Minghe that she might eventually use merit to buy Ksitigarbha’s allegiance for the Underworld. Pingxin chose to wait and see whether Ksitigarbha proved useful.

• Zhunti warned Ksitigarbha to deliver dead souls without interfering with the Underworld or the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and Jieyin ordered the other disciples to follow him.
• Jieyin and Zhunti left, and Minghe mocked Ksitigarbha before departing as well.
• Ksitigarbha reassured the disciples, then led them into Yin Mountain to begin their work.
• Minghe complained to Pingxin about the Two Sages of the West, but she said Ksitigarbha could help ease the Underworld’s burden.
• Pingxin told Minghe she might spend merit to make Ksitigarbha a man of the Underworld, and they agreed to see whether he was worth recruiting.

Hongyun used the Human Race’s peak fortune to attain Hunyuan, shocking the Sages and alarming Jieyin and Zhunti, who feared he would demand repayment for the seat he had once given them. In the Netherworld, Pingxin then arranged for Zhen Yuanzi to pursue Hunyuan with her help and appointed Minghe acting Great Emperor Fengdu during his seclusion.

• As the Human Race’s fortune peaked, Hongyun broke through in Huoyun Cave and attained the Hunyuan Dao Fruit.
• Jieyin and Zhunti sensed Hongyun’s breakthrough and worried that he would collect the cause-and-effect owed for the seat he had given them.
• Taiqing, Yuanshi, and Nuwa sensed Hongyun’s new aura, while Nuwa amused herself imagining Jieyin and Zhunti’s alarm.
• Pingxin summoned Zhen Yuanzi and Minghe, told them Hongyun had attained Hunyuan, and said Zhen Yuanzi could begin his own breakthrough with the Earth Dao’s support.
• Pingxin appointed Minghe acting Great Emperor Fengdu while Zhen Yuanzi entered secluded cultivation.

After proving the Hunyuan Dao, Hongyun left Huoyun Cave to settle the cause and effect of yielding his seat at Zixiao Palace to Jieyin and Zhunti. He confronted the two Sages at Mount Sumeru and declared that he had come to settle their debt.

• Hongyun emerged from seclusion at Huoyun Cave after proving the Hunyuan Dao, and Fuxi, Shennong, Xuanyuan, and the other Human Race worthies congratulated him.
• Hongyun said he would repay the Human Race for supporting his cultivation by seeking benefits from the Two Sages of the West.
• Shennong and Xuanyuan warned Hongyun to be cautious, but he said his Law-proven foundation would let him protect himself and that the debt could not be avoided.
• Hongyun departed for the West, while Jieyin and Zhunti sensed his approach and reluctantly prepared to welcome him.
• Jieyin and Zhunti greeted Hongyun at Mount Sumeru and invited him to tea, but he dismissed their act and said he had come to settle their Zixiao Palace karma.

Hongyun confronted Jieyin and Zhunti over the Saint Position karma they owed him, but the two Sages pleaded poverty and refused to surrender their treasures. Hongyun demanded repayment by force, and the chapter ended as the three prepared to clash.

• Zhunti and Jieyin thanked Hongyun for yielding the Saint Position but claimed the West was too poor to repay him and asked for more time.
• Hongyun pointed out the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, Jieyin's Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit, Zhunti's Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, and the merit of Western Prosperity as possible payment.
• Jieyin and Zhunti refused to give up any of those treasures, calling them essential to their Dao and the Western Teachings.
• Hongyun rejected their excuses, unleashed his Sage pressure, and demanded they repay the karmic debt that day.
• Zhunti raised the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree and Jieyin summoned the Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit as Hongyun declared he would take justice himself.

Hongyun confronted Jieyin and Zhunti on Mount Sumeru over their debt for the Saint Position he had surrendered. They agreed to settle the dispute through a Sage duel, one opponent at a time, and the three left for Chaos to fight.

• Zhunti threatened Hongyun with the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree as Jieyin and Zhunti prepared to defend Mount Sumeru.
• Jieyin pleaded that the West had no treasure to repay Hongyun, but Hongyun reminded him that the two had never tried to settle their debt.
• Zhunti proposed a duel: if he and Jieyin won, Hongyun would grant them more time, while Hongyun would decide how to settle the debt if he won.
• Hongyun accepted but insisted on fighting them one at a time, and Jieyin and Zhunti agreed.
• Hongyun, Jieyin, and Zhunti left Mount Sumeru and headed into Chaos beyond the Thirty-Third Heaven.

Hongyun defeated Zhunti in their contest of Dao, revealing power and skill beyond what Zhunti expected. Jieyin intervened to save Zhunti and prepared to face Hongyun with three powerful treasures.

• Zhunti attacked Hongyun with the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, but Hongyun effortlessly dispelled his divine light and sent him flying with a punch.
• Zhunti launched a stronger assault, while Hongyun calmly deflected it and used the battle to refine his techniques.
• Zhunti unleashed his Great Extinction Divine Light, but Hongyun shattered it and overwhelmed him with precise attacks.
• As Hongyun’s strike threatened Zhunti, Jieyin blocked it with the Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit and told Zhunti to step back.
• Jieyin accepted the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree and faced Hongyun while wielding it alongside the Golden Lotus of Merit and the Jieyin Treasure Banner.

Hongyun fought Jieyin to a draw while pressing him to settle the karma owed by the Western Sages. Jieyin secured an extension, agreeing that he and Zhunti would repay Hongyun within ten thousand years after Western Prosperity, and Hongyun left Chaos.

• Jieyin attacked Hongyun with the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree and Jieyin Treasure Banner, but Hongyun matched his laws and power.
• Hongyun and Jieyin fought evenly, with neither able to overcome the other's defenses.
• Jieyin asked Hongyun to grant more time to repay the karma, while Hongyun argued that their draw meant the debt should be settled now.
• Jieyin agreed to repay the karma within ten thousand years after Western Prosperity, despite Zhunti's objection.
• Hongyun warned the two Sages to keep their word, then departed Chaos.

Jieyin convinced Zhunti to accept Hongyun’s repayment terms and give up their treasures if necessary, arguing that their Saint positions and reliance on spiritual treasures held them back. They resolved to pursue Western Prosperity, repay their karmic debts, and later seek Zhou Ming’s guidance on proving Dao by Law.

• Zhunti questioned why Jieyin had agreed to repay Hongyun after Western Prosperity, and Jieyin said they had no choice given Hongyun’s growing strength.
• Jieyin told Zhunti that if they could not gather enough treasures, they would surrender the Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit, Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, and Eight Treasures Merit Pool.
• Jieyin argued that Innate Spiritual Treasures were external objects and that true powerhouses such as Zhou Ming and Hongyun relied on laws instead.
• Jieyin said he wanted to repay their karma, leave the Heavenly Dao Saint position, and pursue the path of laws; he suggested Zhou Ming could later guide them.
• Zhunti agreed to Jieyin’s plan, and the two returned to Mount Sumeru.

After Hongyun’s battle with the Two Sages of the West revealed the strength of a Daluo Golden Immortal of the Origin, the other Saints planned to seek merit from Western Prosperity and pursue freedom from the Heavenly Dao. Hongyun returned to Huoyun Cave with a deadline for settling the cause and effect, then entered seclusion to digest what he had learned.

• Saint Taiqing summoned True Person Ziyang and ordered him to arrange for Bian Zhuang to take a post in the Heavenly Court.
• Venerable Lord Yuanshi planned to send Guang Chengzi and the other disciples to the Heavenly Court so the Chan Sect could claim a share of Western Prosperity’s merit.
• Nuwa reflected that securing two portions of merit from the Two Sages of the West and Venerable Lord Yuanshi would aid her future break from the Heavenly Dao.
• Hongyun returned to Huoyun Cave and told Fuxi, Shennong, Xuanyuan, and the others that he had set a deadline for settling the cause and effect and gained insight from fighting the Two Sages of the West.
• Hongyun shared his understanding of the Hunyuan Realm with the Human Race sages, then entered seclusion while they stayed to protect his Dao.

Haotian appointed Bian Zhuang Marshal Tianpeng, placing him in command of the Heavenly River's hundred thousand naval troops under Great Emperor Gouchen. Afterward, Taishang Laojun told Bian Zhuang to perform his duties and avoid overstepping, leaving him to serve as the Human Sect's quiet presence in the Heavenly Court.

• Haotian summoned Bian Zhuang to Yaochi and learned that he had come by order of True Person Ziyang, whose master was Saint Taiqing.
• Haotian appointed Bian Zhuang Marshal Tianpeng and gave him command of the Heavenly River's hundred thousand naval troops.
• Haotian told Yaochi that Bian Zhuang would serve under Great Emperor Gouchen, Xing Tian, to keep him from causing trouble.
• Bian Zhuang traveled to Tushita Palace and reported his new post to Taishang Laojun.
• Taishang Laojun instructed Bian Zhuang to do his duty as Marshal Tianpeng, and Bian Zhuang promised not to overstep.

Saint Taiqing proposed that Daoist Duobao go to the West and take charge of Buddhism, diverting its prosperity and merit to the Mystic Gate. Duobao accepted in exchange for the Four Swords of Zhu Xian, and Taiqing began a journey with him through the Primordial Wilderness to teach him.

• Saint Taiqing asked Duobao whether he still blamed him for the Jie Sect's defeat, and Duobao concealed his resentment.
• Duobao said he wanted to reunite with the surviving Jie Sect disciples in the Heavenly Court, but recognized that Taiqing had summoned him for another purpose.
• Saint Taiqing proposed that Duobao go to the West and take charge of Buddhism so the Mystic Gate could seize its merit and Destiny.
• Duobao agreed on the condition that Taiqing give him his Master's Four Swords of Zhu Xian, and Taiqing handed over Zhu Xian, Lu Xian, Jue Xian, and Xian Xian.
• Saint Taiqing said he would travel through the Primordial Wilderness with Duobao and teach him, and the two left Eight Sceneries Palace.

Saint Taiqing brought Daoist Duobao through Hangu Pass and into the West, where he announced that Duobao wished to study Buddhist teachings. Jieyin and Zhunti welcomed Duobao while secretly planning to convert him to their cause, and Duobao accepted Taiqing’s order to remain in the West.

• Saint Taiqing led Daoist Duobao west on a Green Ox, and Yin Xi opened Hangu Pass under the Human Emperor’s decree without sending the soldiers to welcome them.
• Jade Void Palace, Wa Huang Palace, and Huoyun Cave watched Taiqing’s journey, while Yuanshi, Nuwa, Hongyun, Fuxi, Shennong, and Xuanyuan wondered about his intentions for Duobao and Western Prosperity.
• Jieyin and Zhunti saw Taiqing approaching Mount Sumeru and feared he had come to claim a share of the West’s merit and Fortune.
• Taiqing told Jieyin and Zhunti that Duobao admired Buddhist Dharma and wished to cultivate in the West, leaving them unable to refuse his request.
• Jieyin and Zhunti welcomed Duobao and secretly resolved to convert him into an ally of the Western Teachings.
• Taiqing told Duobao to cultivate in the West, and Duobao bowed and obeyed.

Duobao renounced his Daoist identity and walked into the West to cultivate, while Saint Taiqing departed and left Jieyin and Zhunti to contend with him under the rules binding the Saints. Jieyin and Zhunti summoned Burning Lamp and tasked him with handling Duobao, who vowed to rely on the full strength of Western Teachings.

• Duobao changed into a monk’s robe, shed his hair, and walked alone toward the barren reaches of the West.
• Jieyin and Zhunti watched Duobao depart as Saint Taiqing left with his Green Ox.
• Jieyin and Zhunti returned to Mount Sumeru and agreed that they could not personally confront Duobao without giving Taiqing grounds to intervene.
• Jieyin summoned Burning Lamp and explained Taiqing’s arrival and Duobao’s conversion.
• Burning Lamp promised to gather Western Teachings’ disciples and deal with Duobao.

Burning Lamp tasked Shen Gongbao with dealing with Duobao, who had entered the West after becoming a Buddha. Shen Gongbao proposed attacking Duobao’s heart by sending his former Jie Sect junior brothers, now Buddhist disciples, to welcome him, and Burning Lamp approved the plan.

• Burning Lamp left Jieyin and Zhunti and pondered how to stop Duobao, wary of Saint Taiqing’s plan.
• Burning Lamp visited Shen Gongbao and told him that Duobao had transformed into a Buddha and entered the West.
• Burning Lamp proposed having Western Buddhist masters debate Dharma with Duobao until he was converted or worn down.
• Shen Gongbao argued that Duobao’s hatred and reluctance made his Dao heart vulnerable, so they should attack it rather than force conversion.
• Shen Gongbao suggested sending Duobao’s former junior brothers, who had taken refuge in Buddhism, to welcome him, and Burning Lamp entrusted the scheme to him.